Plot

Jerry Spinelli ("Stargirl," "Maniac Magee," "Loser") takes us into the devastating setting of Nazi-occupied Warsaw and tells a tale of hope.

A tiny boy, nicknamed "Stopthief", survives in the shadows of Nazi-occupied WWII Warsaw. A serendipitous encounter connects him to the family he longs to have, then leaves him with the devastating weight of carrying their memories long after the war. A story of love and heartbreak, chaos and survival, and a lifelong search for identity, Milkweed, based on Jerry Spinelli's acclaimed young adult novel, examines enduring love, loss and healing and, in the end, our universal search for belonging.—Gail Rosenblum